Russia Suspends Its Participation In New START Treaty

 

RT: Russia suspends last nuclear treaty with US  

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the country’s temporary withdrawal from the New START Treaty  

Moscow is suspending its participation in the last remaining nuclear treaty between Russia and the US, President Vladimir Putin has announced. During his key address to the Russian parliament on Tuesday, he noted that Moscow will not exit the New START Treaty, but is temporarily withdrawing.  

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WNU Editor:  This is definitely not a good day for nuclear arms control.

 Russia Suspends Its Participation In New START Treaty  

Russia suspends its participation in New START treaty — Putin -- TASS  

Putin Announces Suspension of New START Treaty, Orders New Strategic Systems Be Put on Combat Duty -- Sputnik  

Russia suspends only remaining major nuclear treaty with US -- AP 

Putin delivers nuclear warning to the West over Ukraine -- Reuters  

Putin says Russia will halt participation in New Start nuclear arms treaty -- The Guardian  

Putin says Russia will suspend role in New START nuclear accord with U.S. -- Washington Post 

Putin suspends nuclear arms treaty, adding to tensions with US on Ukraine war anniversary -- USA Today 

Russia suspends participation in New START nuclear treaty with US, Putin says -- FOX News  

Putin pulls back from last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the US -- CNN  

Putin announces Russia is suspending nuclear arms deal with US in stark warning over war on Ukraine -- The Independent  

Vladimir Putin suspends last nuclear treaty with US, puts new missiles on combat duty -- ABC News

 Australia 

Putin: Russia to suspend participation in last remaining nuclear treaty with U.S. -- Axios

Russian President Putin Signs Last-Minute Extension To The START Nuclear Weapons Treaty With US

President Vladimir Putin signed the arms control treaty into law on Friday after the Russian parliament approved it on Wednesday. Photograph: Sputnik/Reuters 

The Guardian: Putin signs last-minute extension to nuclear weapons treaty with US 

Russian president spoke to Joe Biden earlier in the week about arms control pact due to lapse in February 

Vladimir Putin has signed a bill extending the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States a week before the pact was due to expire. 

Both houses of the Russian parliament voted unanimously on Wednesday to extend the New Start treaty for five years. 

Putin and the US president, Joe Biden, had discussed the nuclear accord a day earlier, and the Kremlin said they agreed to complete the necessary extension procedures in the next few days. 

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WNU Editor: The Kremlin is treating this agreement as a huge victory for Russia. In my opinion they are right. There are no changes in the verification requirements .... which President Trump wanted. And it leaves out China and their nuclear missile build-up, another Trump condition.

 More News On Russian President Putin signing An Extension To The START Nuclear Arms Treaty 

Putin signs bill on extending New START into law -- TASS

A done deal: Following agreement with Biden, law extending New START nuclear treaty with US for 5 years signed into law by Putin -- RT 

Putin signs extension of last Russia-U.S. nuclear arms treaty -- Politico 

Russia's Putin signs law extending New START treaty by five years: Kremlin -- Reuters

Russia's Parliament Approves New START Nuclear Treaty Extension

© CC BY 2.0 / Flickr/Mark Maun 

Spuntik: Putin Urges Russian Foreign Ministry to Discuss Document on New START Extension With US

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has tasked the Foreign Ministry with holding negotiations with the United States on signing a document to extend the nuclear arms reduction treaty New START, which expires on 5 February. 

"To task the Russian Foreign Ministry with holding negotiations with the US side on signing an international agreement with key provisions that were approved by the government of the Russian Federation, and with ensuring the signing of the deal after an agreement is reached between the sides", the presidential decree, published on the official legal information portal, read. 

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Update #1: Russian parliament OKs New START nuclear treaty extension (AP) 

Update #2: Kremlin says extending New START for five years enough for work in this field (TASS)

WNU Editor: Russia has issued a warning .... After agreeing New START extension, Moscow warns treaty may not last long if US attempts to ‘undermine Russia’s national security’ (RT). More here .... Russia may quit New START if US acts destructively in arms control sphere, diplomat warns (TASS).

U.S. President Biden Will Seek To Extend The START Arms Control Treaty With Russia

Joe Biden was sworn in as U.S. President on Wednesday. WhiteHouse.gov 

Reuters: Biden will seek to extend New START treaty, unclear for how long 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Joe Biden will seek to extend the New START arms control treaty with Russia and will have to decide how long an extension to pursue, his choice for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said on Tuesday. 

“We will seek to extend it,” Blinken told lawmakers. “He’ll have to make a decision as president about what duration he would seek,” Blinken added, leaving open the possibility that Biden might seek to extend it by less than the maximum five years allowed under the treaty, which expires Feb. 5. 

New START restricted the United States and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads, the lowest level in decades, and limited the land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers that deliver them. 

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Update #1: Biden administration to seek five-year extension on key nuclear arms treaty in first foray with Russia (Washington Post) 

Update #2: Blinken: Biden Administration to Engage With Russia ‘Very Quickly’ on Extending New START Treaty (Sputnik) 

WNU Editor: The Kremlin has responded .... Kremlin says would welcome Biden's efforts to extend New START arms control treaty (Reuters). 

 More News On Russian Reaction To Extending The START Treaty 

Kremlin Says Russia Would Welcome Biden's Efforts To Extend New START Nuclear Treaty -- RFE Russia’s envoy dubs Blinken’s words on extension of New START treaty as a positive signal -- TASS Russia Backs Extension of New START for Maximum 5-Year Period, Foreign Ministry Says -- Sputnik Russia Urges Biden to Be 'More Constructive' Over Arms Treaty -- Moscow Times/AFP

U.S., Russia Close To A Deal On Extending The START Nuclear Treaty

 

WSJ: U.S., Russia Near Deal to Extend Nuclear Treaty and Freeze Warheads 

The U.S. and Russia are on the verge of an arms-control deal that would freeze the number of nuclear warheads on each side and extend the New START agreement for a year, a senior Trump administration official said Tuesday. 

“We are very, very close to a deal,” the official said. “Now that the Russians have agreed to a warhead freeze, I do not see why we cannot work out the remaining issues in the coming days.” 

The Trump administration has been pressing Russia to conclude the agreement before the Nov. 3 U.S. election, a development that would provide President Trump with a diplomatic achievement in the final days of his campaign. 

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WNU Editor: The Kremlin has given everything that President Trump asked for. This is a major policy win for the President, and also the right one to do. This deal will also probably be signed in the next day or two before the US Presidential debate .... US ready to meet immediately with Russia to finalize New START agreement (TASS). But the Kremlin is still hedging its bets .... Russia Is Hedging Its Arms Control Bets on Next U.S. Administration (National Interest). 

 More News On The U.S. And Russia Close To A Deal On Extending The START Nuclear Treaty 

US, Russia appear set to extend last remaining nuclear pact -- AP 

U.S., Russia appear on track to extend nuclear arms pact -- CBC/Reuters 

Russia ready to freeze nuclear warheads in exchange for New START extension -- The Hill 

US and Russia ready to freeze number of nuclear warheads -- DW 

Russia says it's willing to freeze nuclear arsenal to extend arms treaty with US -- CNN 

Trump & Putin On Cusp Of Pre-Election Breakthrough Deal To Extend Nuke Treaty -- Zero Hedge

US-Russia Nuclear Arms Talks Resume Today

DW: US, Russia meet to discuss nuclear arms pact 

The New START nuclear arms agreement, one of the last restraints on Russia and the United States, will expire in February. The two powers are meeting in Finland to discuss its future. 

Negotiators from Russia and the United States met on Monday in Helsinki for a new round of nuclear arms control talks, Finnish officials say. 

The one-day meeting was set to center around the future of the New START treaty. 

The pact limits strategic nuclear weapons and is due to expire in February 2021. 

The treaty is one of the final pacts restraining the two nuclear powers. 

The talks were led by US Arms Control Envoy Marshall Billingslea and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. 

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 More News On The Resumption Of Nuclear Arms Talks Between The U.S. And Russia 

Russia, US to Hold Strategic Stability Consultations on Monday, Deputy FM Says -- Sputnik 

Russia, USA to hold talks on strategic stability on Oct. 5: TASS -- Reuters 

  US, Russia to hold latest nuclear arms talks in Finland -- AP 

New START ‘will die’ because of unilateral US actions — Lavrov -- TASS 

Russia’s Top Arms Expert: Moscow Won’t ‘Be Drawn Into an Expensive Arms Race -- WSJ 

Bipartisan US congressional task force recommends extending nuclear treaty with Russia -- The Hill U.S., Russia Hit Impasse on New START -- Arms Control Association

Russia Foreign Minister Lavrov 'Not Optimistic' About New START Treaty Talks With U.S.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. © Valery Sharifulin/TASS

RFE: Lavrov 'Not Optimistic' About New START Treaty Talks With U.S.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he is "not particularly optimistic" about a possible extension of the New START nuclear arms-control treaty with the United States.

Lavrov said in Moscow on July 10 that the insistence by the United States that China join the treaty, a move that was quickly rejected by Beijing, suggests Washington has already decided not to prolong the pact once it expires in February next year.

"It seems that the U.S. has already decided not to prolong this treaty. Their vigor in focusing on the lack of an alternative to trilateral talks shows that this has been decided,” Lavrov said, according to the Interfax news agency.

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WNU Editor: Nothing gets accomplish with the US when it comes to foreign relations during a US Presidential year. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov knows that.

More News On Russia Foreign Minister Lavrov Saying He Is 'Not Optimistic' About New START Treaty Talks With U.S.

Russia skeptical about nuclear pact extension prospects -- AP
Russian FM Lavrov Warns About Rising Risks of Nuclear Confrontation -- Sputnik
‘They want to win’: NUCLEAR confrontation becomes likelier as US races for global domination, Russian FM says -- RT
Russia calls US’s newest stance on nuclear arms agreement 'undiplomatic,' considers not extending -- FOX News

U.S. And Russia Agree To Suspend New START Treaty Inspections Until May 1 Due To The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

TASS: Russia, US halt inspections under New START due to coronavirus outbreak — expert

Moreover, Moscow and Washington have agreed to postpone a Bilateral Consultative Commission meeting scheduled for March

WASHINGTON, March 29. /TASS/. Russia and the United States have suspended bilateral inspection missions within the framework of the New START treaty on reduction of strategic nuclear arms, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association Daryl Kimball has told TASS.

"The United States and Russia agreed to suspend on-site inspections under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty until May 1," Kimball said.

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Update: Russia and US Suspend New START Treaty Inspections Until May Due to Coronavirus - Reports (Sputnik).

WNU Editor: These inspections are actually very important. But in view of the current crisis, completely understandable on why they should be suspended.

Will The U.S. And Russia End The START Treaty Limiting Strategic Nuclear Weapons?

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, left, as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stands behind prior to their talks in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Russia, May 14, 2019. Pavel Golovkin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Reuters: Future of last nuclear pact between Russia and U.S. uncertain: U.S. envoy

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The last major nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States is outdated and flawed, the U.S. ambassador to Moscow said on Wednesday, saying it could be scrapped altogether when it expires in 2021 and replaced with something else.

The New START treaty limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads the world’s two biggest nuclear powers can deploy to no more than 1,550, the lowest level in decades. It also curbs the number of nuclear launchers and deployed land- and submarine-based missiles and nuclear-capable bombers they can have.

“Some want to extend New START. Some are arguing in favor of creating something new. I’m not sure where it will go,” U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman told the Ekho Moskvy radio station on Wednesday.

The treaty’s future is in focus after the United States withdrew from another landmark nuclear missile pact with Russia this month after determining that Moscow was violating that treaty, an accusation the Kremlin denied.

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WNU Editor: I think it would be a terrible mistake to end the START treaty. It has been successful in limiting strategic nuclear missiles to 1,550, and eliminating it would send a terrible message to the world. My prediction. President Trump will extend the treaty for another five years.

U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo Wants China To Join START Nuclear Talks

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo leaves his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he called for China to be included in the next START nuclear reduction treaty with Russia

AFP: Pompeo wants China to join Russia in START nuclear treaty

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that China should join in the next START treaty on curbing nuclear warheads as Washington prepares for talks on an extension with Russia.

The New START treaty, which caps the number of nuclear warheads well below Cold War limits, is set to expire in 2021 at a time of high tensions between Russia and the United States.

Pompeo said that Russia and the United States have both shown "large compliance" with New START -- unlike the separate INF treaty on medium-range missiles from which Washington this year said it would pull out, accusing Moscow of violations.

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WNU Editor: China has said no in the past. In the current environment, I do not see China joining any talks that will expose its current nuclear posture.

A New U.S. - Russia START Treaty?

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Reuters: Despite tensions, U.S. sees value in New START treaty with Russia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States sees value in the New START arms control treaty with Russia, despite Washington’s concerns about Moscow’s track record on arms control and other issues, senior U.S. officials said on Friday.

The remarks by the Trump administration officials, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, suggest the treaty will remain in force and the door remains open to pursuing an extension of the accord, which is set to expire in 2021.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty gives both countries until February 2018 to reduce their deployed strategic nuclear warheads to no more than 1,550, the lowest level in decades. It also limits deployed land- and submarine-based missiles and nuclear-capable bombers.

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WNU Editor: The treaty will be extended, but in regards to reports that the U.S. wants to negotiate a new treaty .... the feedback that I am reading from Moscow is that no one is interested. The focus in Moscow right now is on elections .... specifically the Russian Presidential election in March. If the U.S. wants a new deal on START, the best time to bring this up will be a few months after the election.

U.S. To Scale Back Its Nuclear Bombers, Submarine Launchers And Ballistic Missiles Under New Start

Photo: Today's U.S. nuclear triad. Time

U.S. To Cut Nuclear Launchers Under Treaty With Russia - Officials -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The United States will scale back its nuclear bombers, submarine launchers and ballistic missiles in the first cuts to its leftover cold war nuclear arsenal since ratifying a landmark treaty with Russia in 2011, officials said on Tuesday.

Under the treaty, known as New Start, the U.S. military will disable four missile launch tubes on each of the 14 U.S. nuclear submarines, convert 30 B-52 nuclear bombers to conventional use and empty 50 intercontinental ballistic missile silos, senior administration officials said.

The Pentagon, however, will not retire a missile squadron as some lawmakers had expected.

The treaty caps deployed strategic nuclear warheads, those meant to travel long distances, in Russia and the United States at 1,550 each by 2018, down from the previous ceiling of 2,200. It also resumes inspections of U.S. and Russian nuclear-weapons facilities that ended in 2009 when the original Start lapsed.

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Update #1: U.S. Planning Cuts to Nuclear Forces Under Pact With Russia -- Wall Street Journal
Update #2: Land-Based Nukes Escape Drastic Cuts Under New START Treaty -- Defense One/Global Security Newswire
Update #3: US will cut deployed nuke missile force by 50 -- AP

My Comment: With the Ukraine crisis ongoing .... is this the right to cut nuclear forces? I guess for this U.S. administration it is.

Russia May Suspend Nuclear Arms Inspection Deal Under START If U.S. Sanctions Are Pushed

Russia’s Defense Ministry. © RIA Novosti. Anton Denisov

Russia Reportedly May Stop Fulfilling Arms Treaty Commitments Following Ukraine Crisis -- FOX News/WSJ

Russia may stop fulfilling arms treaty commitments and block U.S. military inspections from checking its nuclear weapons in response to Washington's move to suspend military cooperation with Moscow, Russian agencies reported Saturday citing an unnamed official in Russia's defense ministry.

The official said that threats from U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization directed toward Russia are perceived as "an unfriendly gesture" and allow the country "to declare force majeure conditions."

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More News On Reports That Russia May Suspend Nuclear Arms Inspection Deal Under START

Russia Mulls Banning US Nuclear Arms Inspections – Source -- RIA Novosti
Russian Defence Ministry to stop receiving US inspectors under New START Treaty -- ITAR Tass
Russia Mulls Halting U.S. Inspections Over Sanctions, Russian News Agencies Report -- AP
Russia warns could halt foreign arms checks -- AFP
Russia threatens to bar START treaty inspectors -- UPI

My Comment: We are now seeing Russian blow-back for U.S. involvement in Ukraine and White House threats of sanctions against Russian interests. This is a major escalation in the rhetoric .... rhetoric that has the potential to literally unravel decades of nuclear arms agreements.

Russia Threatens To Quit The Nuclear Arms START Treaty

On 31 July 1991, the US President, George Bush (sitting on the left), and the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev (sitting on the right), sign the START I Agreement for the mutual elimination of the two countries’ strategic nuclear weapons. Wikipedia

Russia Threatens To Quit START As US Deploys Aegis Destroyer To Spain -- RT

The US has deployed a ballistic missile defense destroyer to Spain to boost NATO’s anti-missile shield in Europe. The move, allegedly aimed at curbing the Iranian threat, has sparked talks about Russia possibly scrapping the START nuclear treaty.

The deployment of the Navy destroyer USS Donald Cook, equipped with the Aegis shipboard integrated combat weapons system, was announced by US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

“An important posture enhancement is European missile defense in response to ballistic missile threats from Iran,” Hagel said, adding that the US is committed “to deploying missile defense architecture there,” as a part of Phase 3 of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA).

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More News On Russian Threats To Quit The Nuclear Arms START Treaty

NATO, Russian Rhetoric Heats Up Over Missile Defense Moves -- National Journal/Global Security Newswire
Russia expresses concern over U.S. deployment of ships with ballistic missile defense capabilities to Spain -- Ground Report
Russia may quit START III after US deploys destroyer in Europe -- Voice of Russia
US Deploys Aegis Destroyer to Spain, Russia Threatens to Scrap START -- Al-Manar News
US provoking Russia to arms race, experts say -- Voice of Russia

My Comment: Russia is threatening to quit the START treaty .... and there is zero coverage in the U.S. media. Weird.

Has Russia Violated The New START Arms Treaty?

Tu-95MS at Engels Air Force Base. Wikipedia

False START -- Washington Free Beacon

Russian failure to notify U.S. of bomber exercises violated New START arms treaty

Recent incursions into U.S. air defense zones by Russian nuclear bombers earlier this month were part of exercises that violated provisions of the 2010 New START treaty, according to U.S. officials.

The treaty requires Russia and the United States to provide 14-day advance notification of major strategic exercises involving nuclear bombers covered by the treaty, and to provide notice within 48 hours after the exercises end.

State Department and Pentagon officials said the Russians failed to provide the proper notification for large-scale exercises held in late June in the arctic.

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My Comment: With the exception of the Washington Free Beacon ..... why is no one reporting this story?

US-Russia Nuclear Arms Treaty Takes Effect Today

US-Russia New Start Nuclear Treaty Comes Into Effect -- BBC

The New Start nuclear arms treaty limiting the number of atomic warheads the US and Russia are allowed to possess, has come into effect.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exchanged ratification documents at a conference in Munich.

The treaty replaces the 1991 Start treaty which expired in December 2009.

It was approved by the US Senate in December and by the Russian parliament last month.

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More News On The START Treaty

US-Russia nuclear arms treaty takes effect -- Yahoo News/AP
U.S. and Russia cap "reset" in ties with START treaty -- Reuters
US, Russia launch nuclear arms reduction pact -- AFP
Factbox: Main elements of the U.S.-Russia nuclear arms treaty -- Reuters

President Obama Signs The START Documents In Private

The treaty will formally come into force when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exchange the instruments of ratification in Munich on February 5. Reuters

Angering Press, Obama Signs Arms Treaty In Private -- Washington Times

The White House drew criticism Wednesday as President Obama privately signed into law a new arms control agreement with Russia with reporters barred from the historic event.

Still photographers were the only members of the press allowed in as Mr. Obama signed the treaty known as the New START, one of his top foreign policy priorities, alongside several top government officials, including Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sens. John Kerry and Richard G. Lugar.

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More News On President Obama Signing The START Documents

President Obama Signs START Treaty, Doesn't Allow Reporters in the Room -- ABC News
Obama Signs START Treaty in Relative Privacy -- FOX News
Obama Signs Nuclear Treaty -- Voice of America
Obama signs Russian nuclear arms treaty documents -- CNN
Obama signs New START treaty documents -- Reuters
Obama signs new nuclear deal with Russia -- AFP
Obama signs nuclear treaty documents Wednesday -- AP
U.S. and Russia to finalize nuclear deal on Saturday -- Reuters
FACTBOX-START treaty approval may bring inspections by April -- Reuters

Russia Finally Ratifies The New START Treaty

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and his US counterpart Barack Obama signed the New START treaty in the Czech capital, Prague, on April 8, 2010, following long negotiations. Press TV

START Clears Final Hurdle In Russia -- The Telegraph

A landmark US-Russia treaty committing both countries to sharply limit their nuclear arsenals has cleared its final hurdle in Russia.

The Russian upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, comfortably approved the text of the new treaty in a vote on Wednesday paving the way for it to be signed into law by President Dmitry Medvedev.

The treaty, known as the 'New START', is the centrepiece of President Barack Obama's much-hyped "reset" in relations with the Kremlin.

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More News On Russia Finalizing It's Approval Of The START Treaty

Russia's upper house ratifies New START -- AP
Russia Approves Arms Treaty -- New York Times
Russian parliament's upper house ratifies U.S.-Russia arms cuts deal -- RIA Novosti
Russian parliament approves arms pact with U.S. -- Reuters
Russia ratifies US nuclear disarmament treaty -- AFP
Russian Parliament Approves New Arms Control Treaty With US -- Aol News
Russia ratifies new START nuclear arms reduction treaty -- Global Post
NATO welcomes START ratification -- UPI

With Russian ratification of New START, what's next for US-Russia relations? -- Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor
Ratifying new START treaty amid mutual mistrust -- Ilya Kramnik, RIA Novosti

Russian Parliament Ratifies START Treaty With The U.S.

Russian State Duma ratifies new START treaty. © RIA Novosti. Ilya Pitalev

Russian State Duma Ratifies New START Treaty -- RIA Novsoti

Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, ratified on Tuesday a new strategic arms reduction agreement with the United States.

Russian lawmakers approved the document, adding some provisions to the ratification document and issuing two supplementary statements to the resolution on ratification of the treaty.

The ratification document provides a legally-binding clause that links strategic offensive and strategic defensive weapons.

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More News On Russia's Parliament Approving The New START Treaty

Russian Duma Approves New START With US -- Voice of America
Landmark nuclear treaty passes Russia's lower house -- CNN
New START Clears Final Russian Duma Vote -- Global Security Newswire
Russian parliament ratifies arms pact with US -- AP
Russia's lower house ratifies US nuclear pact -- AFP
Obama hails new START ratification by Russian lower house -- RIA Novosti
Obama welcomes START ratification in Russia -- Voice of Russia

My Comment: With both sides congratulating and back-slapping each other on this ratification vote, senior Russian lawmakers have made it very clear that .... Russia may withdraw from new arms cuts pact any time.

More Countries At The Non-Proliferation Table?

Russia Says Next U.S. Arms Talks Must Include Others -- Wall Street Journal

MOSCOW—Russia said further cuts in nuclear weapons sought by the U.S. can be achieved only as part of a multinational accord limiting other types of armaments, a position that dims the Obama administration's chances for swift progress toward one of its biggest foreign policy goals.

Under conditions spelled out Thursday by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a new round of talks aimed at slashing Russia's large arsenal of short-range tactical nuclear weapons must involve other nuclear powers and focus as well on conventional warheads and weapons in space.

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My Comment: The Russians are (somewhat) making sense .... but I doubt that countries like China, India, Pakistan, Israel, etc. will jump in. As for further talks on reducing tactical weapons .... the Russians with their huge stockpile have no interest to pursue this for the moment because they have absolutely nothing to gain.

Update: Spencer Ackerman at the Danger Room agrees with my assessment.